President Donald Trump’s recent reversal on an Epstein files bill didn’t stem criticism over his handling of the documents.
Lawmakers and victims of Jeffrey Epstein rebuked the president on Tuesday over his handling of files related to the late sex offender, despite Trump saying Monday that he would sign the petition to release the documents if it reached his desk.
“I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five, no, actually, six years for, and I gave him my loyalty for free,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said at a press conference. “Let me tell you what a traitor is — a traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans like the women standing behind me.”
Greene and Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who successfully fought to hold a vote on a bill that will compel the Justice Department to make files public, appeared with survivors ahead of a vote later Tuesday. Although the bill is expected to pass easily, the resistance to releasing the files by both Trump and many House Republicans has slowed the process for months, which created steep divisions within his own party and many supporters.
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Some survivors said they felt betrayed by Trump.
“You have put us through so much stress,” Haley Robson said. “While I do understand that your position has changed on the Epstein files, and I’m grateful that you have pledged to sign this bill, I can’t help but be skeptical of what the agenda is.”
“I voted for you, but your behavior on this issue has been a national embarrassment,” Jena-Lisa Jones said. “It’s not a hoax.”
When asked why Trump hadn’t supported the measure until recently, Massie said he believes Trump is looking to protect friends and donors, both Republican and Democrat.
“Once you get to a billion dollars, you transcend parties,” Massie said.
A White House spokesperson responded to the criticism by pointing to Democrats.
“Democrats and the media knew about Epstein and his victims for years and did nothing to help them while President Trump was calling for transparency, and is now delivering on it with thousands of pages of documents as part of the ongoing Oversight investigation,” spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in an email.
After the House vote, the bill will head to the Senate. Massie encouraged senators not to add amendments to slow down the process.
“Don’t muck it up in the Senate,” Massie said. “We’re all paying attention.”
This article has been updated with a comment from the White House.
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